Various electrical connector assemblies have been designed for terminating a flat flexible circuit, including board-to-board connector assemblies for connecting the flat flexible circuit to a printed circuit board. Such board-to-board connector assemblies often include a female or receptacle connector and a mating male or plug connector. The flat flexible circuit is terminated to one of the connectors typically by inserting an end of the flexible circuit into an elongated mouth of the connector and biasing conductors of the flexible circuit into engagement with conductive terminals of the connector while somehow securing the flexible circuit in the mouth of the connector.
Connector assemblies of the character described above continue to suffer deficiencies and create problems due to the inadequacies and inconsistent contacts at the connecting interface of the connectors of the assembly as well as in the termination area between the flat flexible circuit and one of the connectors. This invention is directed to solving those problems by providing a more efficient and reliable connector assembly than has heretofore been available.